Grounding connectors are used to electrically connect electrical devices to a grounding members, such as ground rods, pipe and rebar. Inasmuch as the connectors are typically installed underground or in limited access space, the compactness and ease of use are primary concerns. One prior art device for connecting a grounding wire to a parallel grounding member includes a pair of clamp members that are interconnected by clamping screws for clamping the ground member therebetween. A block is provided on the top clamp member having a transverse through hole for receiving the grounding wire. A vertical set screw is provided for clamping the grounding wire in the block. The upper vertical location of the block increases the overall envelope size of the ground clamp, in both the packaged and installed conditions. Such ground clamps are also disposed in serial locations along a grounding member. As it is desirable to use a continuous length of grounding wire, the grounding wire needed to be successively threaded through the block hole, a time consuming installation step.
The serial installation problem was partially overcome by the clamping apparatus for connecting ground wire to grounding member disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US2004/0092142. Therein, as shown FIG. 7, the ground clamping apparatus 100 includes an upper clamp 102 connected to a lower clamp 104 by screws 106 to clamp a ground member therebetween. Instead of a hole through the block 108 on the upper clamp, an upwardly opening slot 110 is provided. Accordingly, the ground wire may be laid in the slot and a transverse set screw 112 tightened to clamp the ground wire in the slot. While assisting in the installation of the ground wire, the position on the upper block still increased the mounting envelop size. Further, the set screw and the clamping screws were in a common plane. To gain tool access to one of the clamping screws for uniform clamping, the set screw had to be in a retracted position in the ground wire block, otherwise the shank of the set screw physically interfered with took access to the clamping screw. For subsequent installation ground wire, the set screw had to be loosed and thereafter retightened, presenting an additional installation step. After ground wire attachment, the clamping screw was once again overlaid by the set screw, creating operational problems if the ground clamp needed repositioning or retightening.